Marble shooter



Sept. 9, 1924.

J. J. HIGGINS MARBLE SHOOTER Filed July 13 19 AT ORNEY.

WITNESS:

Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

JOSEPH J. HIGGINS, or BROLTX) NEW YORK.

Mamba saeoasa.

Application filed July 13,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. HIGGINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bronx, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Marble Shooters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to marble shooters and has for its primary object the provision of a device for shooting marbles, checkers and other like objects, in the playing of such games as require the projection of an object.

Another object is to provide a device of the character mentioned wherein the player is not required to kneel to operate and take aim nor is it necessary to insert the projectile or marble into the device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a marble shooter of relatively few parts, thereby rendering the same simple in construction and o eration, cheap of manufacture and highly e cient for the purpose intended.

W'ith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing. in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved marble shooter, the parts being in normal position.

Figure 2 is a similar View with the parts in set position.

Hitherto, the practice of projecting marbles in playing the game of marbles has been to kneel upon the ground or other surface and project the marble by the thumb. This results in the soiling of the clothing and hands of the player, and it is therefore my intention to construct a device which will overcome these objections and at the same time permit accurate aim of the object or marble.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 designates a base of any suitable well-known material and in which is provided a recess 11. The recess 11 is closed at its front as at 12, the said front portion having a concaved recess 13 for the reception of the projectile in the nature of a marble 14. A plunger 15 is mounted for sliding movement in the front ieaa, sm rtl 651,329.,

end 12 and is provided with a head 16 over which is adapted to be passed an elastic 17, the free ends of which are secured to the base 11 as at 18. A roller 19 is mounted in the opposite end of the recess, over which is passed a flexible cable 20, one end being se-. cured to the plunger 15 and the other end to a lever 21, pivotally mounted to a handle or upright 22 supported by the base 10.

In practice the plunger 15 is normally held in its extended or projected position by means of the elastic 17 and the lever 21 is in a horizontal position as clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawing. When operating the device, the handle 22 is grasped by one hand and the lever 21 moved upward by the other hand to retract the 'plui'iger against the tension of the-elastic 17. The

device is moved against the object or marble I 1.4; so that the same is within the recess 13,

after which the lever 21 is released causing the plunger to move to its normal position with a force sufficient to cause the marble to be projected accurately for a considerable distance. Of course the force of the plunger is determined by the tension of the elastic 1? controlled by the lever 21. It will thus be seen that a player may operate the device while in a standing posture which eliminates the necessity of kneeling, thereby causing soiling of the clothing and hands.

While I have described what I deem to be the most desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many of the details may be varied without in any Way departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my invention limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is 1. A marble shooter comprising a base, a bore in said base, a plunger mounted in said bore and having a head, an elastic element having its ends secured to said base and passing over the head of said plunger and normally holdingsaid plungerin a projected position, a handle rising from said base, a lever pivotally mounted to said handle, and a flexible connection between said plunger and lever wherebymanipulation of said lever in one direction will cause the retraction of said plunger.

2. A marble shooter comprising a base, a handle rising from said base, a concave recess formed in the front Wall of said base, a whereby movement of said lever in an upbore in said base and opening into the axial Ward direction Will cause the plunger to be 10 center of said recess, a plunger slidable in retracted against the tension of the elastic said bore, a head formed on said plunger, an element.

' elastic element passing over said head and In testimony whereof I have afiixed my having its ends secured to said base, a lever signature. pivoted to said handle, and a flexible cable connecting said plunger With said lever, JOSEPH J, HIGGINS; 

